Letter can’t be written until Zardari is president: Aitzaz

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s counsel in the contempt case, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan has said a letter cannot be written to the Swiss officials until Asif Ali Zardari is president of Pakistan.
In an interview with a private TV channel on Monday, after the prime minister submitted his written reply to the Supreme Court, Aitzaz said the president enjoyed immunity the world over and pointed out that countries did not like their citizens to appear in the courts of other countries.
Aitzaz said the president was a symbol of Pakistan’s federation, parliament and supreme commander of the armed forces. He said one could be against an individual but “we should not allow our president to submit before a foreign magistrate”. He said the prime minister felt that the president must not appear in foreign courts.
To a question, the PM’s counsel said the prime minister did not want a confrontation between institutions.
He said in his reply the prime minister had requested the Supreme Court to send the case to parliament as it had done in the case of the 18th Amendment about appointment of judges.
Aitzaz expressed surprise on certain TV commentators who had started making comments about the reply immediately after it was submitted to the Registrar without going through it.
He said the prime minister was an accused in the case and he had the right to express his concern, adding that the Supreme Court should not issue a verdict without hearing him out.
Aitzaz said the issue was whether a letter could be written and whether it should be written or not.